well torap, this wouldn't be the first time the 'truth' was pushed aside for internet and sports related dislike, now would it?

what people expect from 19&8 guys, or at least what they hope, is that those guys will try to win by building a team around themselves (especially when they say to the media that this is their dream), not that they concentrate all the talent in a few teams and go all-star team against all-star team leaving the bottom feeders to fight it out for 7th and 8th place. for many fans, pulling up your bootstraps and carrying a team is what earns you respect. banding together with all stars for an easier shot at the championship is the easy way out, and 'stars' tend to get crucified for it by sports geeks. that's just a media reality.

and please show me where i indicated that he was not a part of the success. piggy backing is not about doing nothing, it's about taking the easy road. he clearly took the easier road.

i give a lot of credit to payton (and malone) for doing what they did. they tried for almost the entirety of their careers to win on their own. once they gave it everything they had, they tried to get a ring in their last couple of years as the cherry on the top of an amazing career. that is a whole different kind of piggy-backing because they gave it their all first. Bosh gave up trying on his own after 7 years (and just at the start of his prime) and teamed up with two of the best players in the game to take an easier route. he never gave it everything, and that's why some fans feel he didn't earn their respect. it's not right or wrong, and hundreds of posts to try to counter that opinion won't change a thing. he did what he did, and people have their own criteria for what garners respect. i can't believe you are still surprised by this.

I guess that we just have different ideas about what "piggy-backing" actually means....

Payton & Malone had absolutely nothing to complain about for most of their careers. They play on GREAT teams for MANY years with ALL-STAR players by their side. That's exactly the argument that I'm making...

How long should Bosh have stayed a Raptor? His entire career? Even though nearly every year the entire roster was turned over and he shouldered the majority of the blame for every failed season?

I just think that's unreasonable. He gave it a go for 7 years. In that time there was little to nothing that ever suggested that a proper "competitive" team was being built here... and before you say "What about Hedo? What about JO?" no, I don't consider those signings relevant since both players were clearly past their prime.

Maybe Bosh should have gone to Chicago or N.Y... maybe that would have made some fans happier.... but I can't blame the guy for wanting to play with a couple of great players (who are also friends) and give himself the best chance possible.